BR112016007473B1 - FOOD PROCESSING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

blender. The present invention relates to a food processing device for mixing and liquefying food comprising a mixing vessel, a blade holder, and a motor base. the engine is a high power engine. The device has several safety features designed for the high power engine. the blade holder comprises a safety mechanism which prevents the motor base from operating without the mixing vessel covering the blade. the mixing vessel also contains emitters that interact with detectors on the base of the motor that can allow a user to select an alternate mixing speed according to the mixing vessel that is attached.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE ON RELATED REQUEST

[001]This application is a continuation in part of application No. 14/047954, filed on October 7, 2013.

FIELD OF TECHNIQUE

[002] The present invention relates to household and kitchen appliances. In particular, the present invention relates to blenders and food processors. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to high performance blenders with various safety features and alternative blending speeds.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE INVENTION

[003] Traditionally, blenders are mainly used for relatively soft liquids or solids such as fruits and vegetables. Over the years, different recipes with more solid foods, such as meat and ice, for blenders have been developed. These solid or dry foods are significantly more difficult to break down and mix. Therefore, there is a growing demand for high-performance blenders with stiffer blades that are capable of blending and blending different types of foods. To break down different types of solid foods, a strong and powerful motor needs to be used to drive the blender blades. However, several problems associated with a high-powered motor limit the design and functionality of blenders.

[004] An obvious problem associated with a powerful engine is the significant increase in size and weight of the blender. As blender weight increases with motor size and blender size also increases with motor housing size, the use of a large motor makes the blender less desirable for many consumers due to size and weight. . To limit size, the engine has to be confined in a smaller housing. However, this reduces housing ventilation, potentially causing the engine to overheat.

[005] Motor overheating poses different safety and durability concerns for a blender. Overheating a powerful engine confined in a small housing could damage engine components. Heat can melt plastic and electrical wires in or near the engine housing, giving off a dangerous and highly unpleasant odor. Melting or even burning electrical wires could also significantly increase the chance of electricity leakage and even burn out the blender. Motor heat could also be transferred to the outer housing or blender housing. This could melt the blender's external design and potentially burn and injure the user.

[006] Another type of overheating associated with a powerful engine is the overheating of the blade set. The blades in a blender rotate at a significantly higher speed when powered by a powerful motor. Friction associated with high-speed rotation often generates a large amount of heat. When liquid or semi-liquid foods are placed in a blender, the heat from the blades can often quickly disperse into the foods. However, when solid and dry foods are being processed, heat builds up around the moving part of the blade assembly and transfers to other parts of the blender. The heat could melt the plastic parts of the blender, releasing dangerous gas and endangering users' health. Any damage to the blade set could also affect the blade rotation speed, cause the blade to vibrate unevenly and vigorously, and even alter the blade rotation path. This affects the efficiency of the blender and sometimes makes the blender inoperable.

[007] Another problem associated with a powerful engine is engine and blender vibration. For a small motor, such as a 200 watt motor, vibration is usually barely noticeable. However, when a more powerful engine is used, vibration increases significantly. Vibration not only causes unpleasant sound and unwanted movement of the blender, it also creates other safety and design issues. In general, a blender with noticeable vibration is undesirable and perceived as unreliable by customers. The uncontrollable vibration could cause the blender to tip and fall. Vibration could also affect the normal horizontal rotation of the blades and reduce blender efficiency.

[008] Blenders with powerful motors are subject to heavy use. They are often used to crush ice and break up hard, dry foods. Blades become an expensive part of the blender because they must be durable and have the quality needed to crush and break hard objects. Blades must also be sharp and rigid for use. This raises safety concerns for the blender with powerful motors as the blades could seriously injure users if they accidentally come into contact with the blades. Even if a blender is designed properly, it could still pose a threat to users, especially children, due to improper installation or unintended use. This safety concern is of particular importance for high performance blenders due to their increased ability to cut through more solid objects.

[009] Blenders with powerful motors are generally relatively large in size. Its blade holder and mixing bowl are also larger than those in regular blenders. Due to its size, it can be difficult for users to attach the mixing bowl to the blade holder as users may not be able to securely hold the large mixing bowl with one hand. A common difficulty is not being able to thread the blade holder to the mixing vessel with a satisfactory tightness. If the blade holder is not screwed in tightly enough, liquid may flow out of the mixing bowl through the blade holder to the blender motor unit. However, if the blade holder is screwed into the mixing vessel too tightly, after mixing is done, it may be difficult to unscrew the blade holder from the mixing vessel. In particular, after each mixing, the mixing vessel contains the mixed food or liquid. Users would normally be hesitant to forcibly screw on the blade holder, due to concerns that the contents in the mixing bowl might spill as the blade holder begins to unscrew from the mixing bowl. Mixing the liquid contents in the mixing vessel can also cause some of the liquid to enter the junction of the mixing vessel and the blade holder, sealing the mixing vessel and making the blade holder even more difficult to unscrew. Also, the outside of the mixing vessel is often wet and slippery. Thus, threading and unscrewing the blade holder and mixing bowl can be extremely difficult, especially for high-powered blenders with large mixing bowls.

[010]Powerful motor blenders are difficult to build and it is extremely challenging to address all the safety and design issues associated with a large motor. Therefore, a long felt need remains for a high performance blender system that is safe and convenient to use and easy to clean.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[011] The embodiments of the present invention refer to a food processing device preferably with a high power motor. The food processor could be a blender or other similar devices. Some embodiments comprise a mixing vessel. The mixing vessel has a wall that defines an opening that can be connected to a blade holder. The blade holder has a top surface and a bottom surface. It is capable of being detachably attached to the mixing vessel by some mechanism, such as a screw-on device.

[012] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the blade holder has a blade rotatably mounted to the blade holder and a pin mechanism with a movable pin. The lower surface has a coupling gear and a recess with a particular shape. The pin mechanism is also visible from the lower surface of the blade holder. The pin mechanism is located at a particular first location on the bottom surface. The pin mechanism operates through the top surface and the bottom surface. The pin is capable of protruding from either the top surface or the bottom surface, depending on whether it is being pressed. When the pin is not pressed, its natural position is projecting from the top. When pressed, it moves from the top surface to the bottom surface and protrudes from the bottom.

[013]In some arrangements, the coupling gear and the blade are connected via a shaft. The shaft is surrounded by a plurality of ball bearings, which are confined by a sleeve. Ball bearings reduce friction and heat generated by the high-speed rotation of the blade and coupling gear.

[014] In some embodiments, the food processor also has a motor base that has a removable bottom cover attached, a detachably coupled skirt, a motor housing with a motor located therein, and a cavity located on top of the housing of the engine. The cavity is capable of allowing the blade holder to be inserted into it.

[015]The engine housing has a roof and a bottom entrance. In some embodiments, the engine is mounted on the roof of the engine housing only, but not in other locations. It is mounted to the ceiling indirectly via an engine mount. The engine mount is roof mounted via a plurality of shock absorbers. Buffers are located between the roof and engine mount and located under the engine mount. The bottom inlet of the motor housing is smaller than the motor to prevent the motor from falling out of the motor housing. The motor is connected to a fan at its lower end and is also connected to an electrical circuit that controls the motor. The fan is located outside the motor housing and below the bottom inlet.

[016]In some modes, the motor has a high power, preferably more than 950 watts. In one mode, the motor is a 1200 watt motor.

[017]The motor base cavity has a cavity surface with a raised area, an impeller, an actuator, and a drain hole in the surface. The raised area is complementary to the particular shape of the recess in the lower surface of the blade holder. The impeller is connected to the motor so that it is driven by the motor. The actuator is connected to the circuit and is located in a second particular location on the cavity surface. When the actuator is depressed, the actuator closes the circuit. The drain hole is connected to a third location below the engine housing via a tunnel.

[018]When the mixing bowl is connected to the blade holder, the wall of the mixing bowl causes the pin to protrude from the bottom surface. Matching the shape of the recess and the raised area aligns the blade holder and the motor base when the blade holder is inserted into the cavity of the motor base. The position of the actuator and pin mechanism also match when the blade holder and motor base align. This causes the protruding pin to depress the actuator. The food processor is capable of being turned on automatically when the blade holder connected to the mixing bowl is inserted into the cavity of the motor base.

[019] The bottom cover of the motor base comprises a plate and a cup-shaped housing. The plate has a plurality of openings in it. The cup-shaped housing is partially located within the motor housing when the bottom cover is coupled to the motor base, and the housing substantially insulates the motor housing from the third position, preventing liquid from the orifice. drain enter motor housing. The engine base skirt is located between the engine housing and the bottom cover. The skirt is detachably attached to the bottom cover plate and motor housing. It is larger than the inlet to provide mechanical support for the engine base.

[020]In some embodiments, the circuit has a slow start function and a timer that automatically turns off the motor after the motor has been running for a predetermined period of time. The circuit is connected to a switch mounted on the engine base. The switch has three different state positions - a released position, a first depressed position and a second depressed position. The released position opens the circuit, while both the first pressed position and the second pressed position close the circuit, where the first pressed position automatically returns to the released position once the switch is no longer pressed, but the second pressed position remains the closed circuit when the switch is no longer pressed.

[021] Some embodiments of the present invention also relate to the system for unscrewing a mixing container from a blade holder. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for use with a mixing vessel and blade holder for unscrewing the mixing vessel from the blade holder. The tool is a wrench that has an elongated handle and a complementary socket formed on the bottom surface of the blade holder such that when the socket is placed on the lower surface of the blade holder, the socket engages the blade holder. When the wrench handle is rotated, torque is applied to the blade holder, thus allowing the user to unscrew the blade holder from the mixing vessel when rotated in one direction (eg clockwise), and tighten the mixing vessel. mixing in the blade holder when rotated in the opposite direction (eg counterclockwise). Mixing bowl features that also help unscrew the mixing bowl blade holder include one or more protrusions on the outside surface of the mixing bowl to allow the user to more easily grip the mixing bowl while applying torque to the holder blade through the key handle.

[022] In one aspect, the system for opening a mixing vessel has a key, a blade holder and a mixing vessel. The key has an elongate element having a first end portion and an opposite second end portion. Coupled to the second opposite end portion is a head region having a lower surface and an upper surface. The lower surface of the head region has a recessed socket.

[023]The blade holder has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a threaded inner surface. The bottom surface has at least one protruding element formed complementary to a recessed region of the socket on the wrench, which allows the socket to engage the bottom surface of the blade holder. A mixing blade is coupled to the blade holder via a blade coupling element which runs substantially through the central vertical axis of the blade holder. This blade coupling element secures the blade to the blade holder.

[024]The mixing vessel has a closed top region, an open top when unscrewed from the blade holder, and an outer surface. The outer surface of the mixing vessel has a threaded bottom adapted to engage the inner surface of the blade holder. The outer surface of the mixing vessel also has at least one gripping element protruding from the outer surface of the mixing vessel. The user can thread the blade holder to the mixing container either by hand or using the wrench clockwise (or counterclockwise, if the mixing container and blade holder thread is reversed from a traditional configuration) . To disengage the blade holder from the mixing bowl, the user places the socket on the lower surface of the blade holder. A horizontal rotation of the key rotates the blade holder, due to the complementary shape of the socket and the bottom of the blade holder, which prevents mere rotation of the key without also rotating the blade holder. To aid in disengaging the mixing bowl from the blade holder, the user holds the hold down elements of the mixing bowl while rotating the wrench to unscrew the blade holder from the mixing vessel.

[025] In other embodiments of the invention, the gripping element on the outer surface of the mixing vessel is a plurality of crimps extending substantially from the top of the mixing vessel to the bottom of the mixing vessel.

[026] In other embodiments of the invention, the plurality of gripping elements is substantially four substantially equally spaced crimps, running along the length from the top of the mixing vessel to the bottom of the mixing vessel.

[027] In yet other embodiments of the invention, the gripping element is a handle on the outer surface of the mixing container. The socket on the wrench is characterized by having a central recessed zone having an outer periphery, and a plurality of recessed grooves extending radially outward from the outer periphery of the central recessed zone, and the element protruding from the lower surface of the bracket. blade is a complementary projecting circular region formed in the recessed inner circular region of the socket. The central recessed region and the plurality of slots in the socket are adapted to engage at least one element protruding from the lower surface of the blade holder.

[028] In some embodiments of the invention, the element protruding from the lower surface of the blade holder further comprises a plurality of protruding elements that extend radially to form a periphery of the circular region protruding from the blade holder.

[029]The key, the blade holder and a mixing vessel have several advantages over the prior art. Since the socket is molded complementary to the lower surface of the blade holder, the wrench can easily be placed over the blade holder and easily removed from the blade holder. While easily removable, having the complementary formed structures, the wrench and blade holder do not slip with each other when the key is rotated either clockwise (to release), or counterclockwise (to tighten) the blade holder and the mixing container. After the blade holder and mixing container are tightened or loosened to the user's preference, the key is the raised lower surface of the blade holder. In this way, the user can squeeze the mixing container and blade holder just enough so that the contents of the mixing container do not leak out, without having to worry about over-tightening the mixing container, which later makes it difficult to remove the blade holder mixing container. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[030] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[031] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mixing container with a blade holder separated from the base of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[032] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mixing container separated from a blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[033] Figure 4 is a perspective view of different mixing containers according to different embodiments of the present invention.

[034] Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[035] Figure 6 is a perspective view from below of the blade holder shown in Figure 5, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[036] Figure 7 is an illustrative view of the internal structure of a blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[037] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a motor base of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[038] Figure 9 is a top view of the base of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[039] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the motor base of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[040] Figure 11 is an isolated top view of the bottom cover of the base shown in Figure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above.

[041] Figure 12 is an isolated bottom view of a bottom cover, a part shown in Figure 10, of the motor base shown in Figure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from below.

[042] Figure 13 is a bottom view of a motor housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below and showing the inlet of the motor housing.

[043] Figure 14 is an illustrative view of the internal structure of an engine housing of an engine base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[044] Figure 15 is an isolated inverted view of an engine coupled to the roof of an engine housing of an engine base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[045] Figure 16 represents isolated views of a blade, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[046] Figure 17 is a perspective view of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention with the mixing container with an open end.

[047] Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a mixing container with an open end, blade holder, and a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[048] Figures 19 - 20 are side views of a mixing vessel with an open end separated from the blade holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[049] Figure 21 is a front view of a mixing container with an open end separated from the blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[050] Figure 22 is a rear view of a mixing vessel with an open end separated from the blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[051] Figure 23 is a perspective view of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a mixing container with two open ends.

[052] Figure 24 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a mixing container with two open ends, blade holder, and a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[053] Figures 25 - 26 are side views of a mixing vessel with two open ends separated from the blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[054] Figure 27 is a front view of a mixing vessel with two open ends separated from the blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[055] Figure 28 is a rear view of a mixing vessel with two open ends separated from the blade holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[056] Figure 29 is a side cross-sectional view of the base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[057] Figure 30 is a rear cross-sectional view of the base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[058] Figure 31 is a top view of the base of a blender according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[059] Figure 32 is a perspective view of a wrench having a recessed socket for unscrewing a mixing container from a blade holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[060] Figure 33 is a bottom view of a wrench having a recessed socket for unscrewing a mixing container from a blade holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[061] Figure 34 is a perspective view of a system for opening a mixing container, illustrating the mixing container, a blade holder and a key, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[062] The following description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is further determined with reference to the appended claims.

[063] The invention will now be described more fully below with respect to the attached drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention can, however, be embodied in many different ways and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments presented herein. Preferably, these embodiments are provided so that this description is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[064] Exemplified embodiments of the present invention are described herein with respect to the idealized embodiments of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are expected. Thus, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein, but should include deviations in shapes resulting from, for example, fabrication.

[065] Returning to the drawings, Figure 1 is directed to a perspective view of a blender 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The blender 100 comprises primarily three parts - a mixing vessel 102, a blade holder 104, and a motor base 106. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the blender 100 resembles a specially designed bullet shape. in a waveform at the bottom of the blender 100. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the blender 100 can have a variety of formats known or developed in the art. The mixing vessel 102 and blade holder 104 together form a closed vessel for mixing and liquefying foods and liquids. Mixing container 102 detachably couples to blade holder 104. Mixing container 102 with blade holder 104 is detachably coupled to motor base 106. As shown in Figure 2, closed container 102 can be removed from the base of the motor 106, while the mixing vessel 102 and blade holder 104 are coupled together. When mixing vessel 102 and blade holder 104 are removed from the base of motor 106, it reveals a cavity 600 in the base of motor 106. Cavity 600 is the chamber for which blade holder 104 is inserted. Although blade holder 104 without being coupled to mixing vessel 102 can still be inserted into cavity 600 of motor base 106, it will be described in more detail below that blender 100 cannot be operated unless blade holder 104 is coupled to mixing vessel 102 when it is inserted into cavity 600.

[066] Referring to Figure 3, a perspective view of a mixing container 102 separated from a blade holder 104. In some embodiments, the mixing container 102 detachably couples to the blade holder 104 by a relative relationship. thread engagement 103. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that mixing container 102 can engage with blade holder 104 by other means known or developed in the art, such as a series of locking elements, ridges or a push-and-rotate mechanism. . In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 3, the blade holder 104 can be thought of as the mixing vessel lid 102 when the mixing vessel 102 is inverted. When the food has been mixed and processed by the blender 100, the user can take the mixing vessel 102 from the base of the motor 106, invert the mixing vessel 102, and open the blade holder 104 to dump the food from the mixing vessel. 102. Depending on the size of the mixing vessel 102, the mixing vessel 102 can be used directly as a drinking vessel for the convenience of users. Alternatively, after the food has been processed, the blade holder 104 can be replaced with a regular lid that is detachably engageable with the mixing vessel 102 by the same threaded engagement relationship 103. The mixing vessel 102 may then , act as a container for storage. Unlike the mixing container design of other blenders, which often requires the user to pour the food into another container for storage, the mixing container 102 in some embodiments of the present invention is more convenient for users to store the mixed contents.

[067] Figure 4 shows different mixing containers 102 individualized according to different embodiments of the present invention. Mixing containers 102 can have different shapes and sizes to meet different needs. The first mixing vessel 202 has an opening 220 at the top and an opening 222 at the bottom. Along the edge of opening 222 is a connecting mechanism such as a thread region 228, adapted to engage the inner threaded surface 422 of blade holder 104. On both the outer wall and the inner wall of the first container 102, multiple ridges elongated 224 are present. The ridges 224 can be evenly spaced apart. The ridges 224 on the inner wall of the first container 102 facilitate food mixing in the container 202. The position of the inner ridges 224 is preferably close to the opening that is connected to the blade holder 104, because most of the food mixing occurs near the blade holder 104. The ridges 224 on the outer wall help users to hold the container 202 more firmly, providing an anti-slip effect. The ridges 224 are bead-like structures that extend substantially vertically from the top to the bottom of the mixing vessel 102. Another version of the vessel 202 is also shown here, except that it has only one opening 224. The opening 222 is for the blade holder connection 104.

[068]Similar to the first mixing vessel 202, the second mixing vessel 204 also has ridges 224 on its outer and inner walls. The second container 204 has only one opening 222, which contains threads 228 for the blade holder 104 to engage with the second container 204. The second container 204 has a dome shape. The second container 204 is supported by outer ridges 224. The outer ridges 224 are shaped so as to allow the second container 204 to rest on the apex of the dome-shaped container 204 without falling over. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the number of ridges 224 can be varied as long as the container 204 can stand upright.

[069] The third container 206 shown is similar to the second container 204, except that it has a handle 262 for users to hold the container 206. The outer ridges 224 are no longer needed for the anti-slip reason, but they may still be present on some arrangements of the third container 206 for aesthetic reasons. The fourth container 208 also has a handle 262 on its side. It has two openings 220 and 222, one at the top and one at the bottom. The lower opening 224, similar to that of the first container 202, has a connection mechanism such as threads 228 that mate with the threads of the blade holder 104. The fourth container 208 has a mouthpiece 282 in the upper opening 222. shown in the figure can be used to cover the top opening 222 when the blender 100 is in operation. The third container 206 and fourth container 208 designs allow users to load containers and pour the contents into containers more conveniently. As described in more detail below, lifting mixing vessel 102 with blade holder 104 triggers a safety mechanism of blender 100 and stops operation of blender 100 immediately. Thus, a mixing container 102 with a handle 262 provides a safe but convenient way to operate the blender 100.

[070] While four different embodiments of mixing container 102 are shown in Figure 4, those skilled in the art will appreciate that container 102 can be in any shape and have any combination of the components described above and other features known or developed in the art. While in some embodiments mixing vessels 102 have two openings, one at the top and one at the bottom, mixing vessels 102 with only one opening are preferred. Since embodiments of the present invention are often used as blenders with high power motors, contact with a rotating blade when the blender is operating can cause serious injury. The single opening design can completely avoid any possible blade contact when the blender is operating. Thus, mixing vessels without the top opening are preferred.

[071] Figures 5, 6 and 7 provide a detailed illustration of the blade holder 104 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 and Figure 6 are the top perspective view and the bottom perspective view of a blade holder 104, respectively. Figure 7 is an illustrative view of blade holder 104 showing the internal structure of blade holder 104.

[072] As for Figure 5, it shows a blade holder 104 comprising a plastic base 402 and a blade 404. The blade 404 is rotatably coupled to the plastic base 402 by a mechanism that will be discussed in more detail below in Figure 7. The plastic base 402 has a circular cylindrical shape. On its outer wall, it has a plurality of ridges 424 to provide traction for the user to rotate blade holder 104 when the user separates blade holder 104 from mixing container 102 or threads blade holder 104 back into the mixing container. mixing 102. On its inner wall, it contains a connecting mechanism, such as threads 422 that mate with the connecting mechanism, such as threads 228, in the mixing vessel 102, as shown in Figure 4.

[073]Below the threads 422, several rectangular safety pins 426 are adjustable mounted on and engaged with the blade holder 104. The number of safety pins 426 may vary according to the design of embodiments of the invention. Security pins 426 are located within a plurality of pin housings 427. Pin housing 427 is a cavity that creates an opening in the upper surface of blade holder 104 and an opening in the lower surface of blade holder 104. safety pins 426 can slide vertically through plastic base 402, but they are locked in such a way that they cannot disengage from plastic base 402. When safety pin 426 slides to its uppermost position, it protrudes to from the upper inner surface of the plastic base 402, while being completely hidden in the lower surface of the plastic base 402. When a safety pin 426 slides to its lowest position, it protrudes from the lower surface of the plastic base 402, while it is completely hidden in the upper inner surface of the plastic base 402. The protrusion of the safety pins 426 is best shown in Figure 6. The natural position of the safety pins 426 is their highest position. Safety pins 426 are located at the position where the edge of a mixing vessel 102 will be located when the mixing vessel 102 is threaded into the blade holder 104. Therefore, when a mixing vessel 102 is threaded into the blade holder 104 , the edge of the mixing vessel 102 presses all of the safety pins 426 from their natural position, which is the highest position, to the lowest position which is projecting from the lower surface. The movement of the safety pins 426 and their engagement with the edge of a mixing container 102 are important to one of the safety mechanisms of the blender 100, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[074] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the plastic base 402 of a blade holder 104 seen from below. For purposes of illustration, safety pins 426 are shown protruding from the bottom surface, even though a mixing vessel 102 is not connected to blade holder 104. Blade holder 104 further comprises a coupling gear 442 at the center bottom of plastic base 402. Coupling gear 442 is connected to blade 404 by a mechanism that will be shown and described in more detail in Figure 7. Coupling gear 442 fits with an impeller 602 (shown in Figures 8 and 9) of motor base 102. A 640 motor within motor base 106 drives rotation of impeller 602, which in turn drives coupling gear 442, which in turn drives rotation of blade 404. blade holder 104 also comprises a plurality of recesses 444. In this embodiment, recesses 444 are defined by an inner circumferential wall 446, an outer circumferential wall 448, and two square-shaped relief areas. 449. The recesses 444 fit with a plurality of embossed areas 604 (shown in Figures 8 and 9) so that the blade holder 104 can be properly aligned with the base of the motor 106 when the blade holder 104 is inserted into the engine base 106.

[075] Figure 7 shows the internal structure of the blade 104 support and the coupling gear mechanism 442 driving the blade 404 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Blade 404 is rotatably mounted to blade holder 104 by a screw 472 which is secured to a central shaft 474 at one end. Coupling gear 442 is connected to center shaft 474 at the other end. When coupling gear 442 rotates, it drives center shaft 474, which in turn drives screw 472 and blade 404 to rotate. Along a large intermediate portion of the center shaft 474, a sleeve 476 encircles the center shaft 474. An upper seal 478 encircles the upper end of the center shaft 474 and a lower seal 480 encircles the lower end of the center shaft 474. Both seals 478 and 480 are preferably ring-shaped. Sleeve 476, upper seal 478 and lower seal 480 define a space for two layers of plurality of ball bearings 482 to be placed.

[076]The internal design of the blade holder 104 provides different features that are particularly suitable for a high power blender. When a high power motor drives coupling gear 442 of blade holder 104, all moving blade holder components 104 move with a high rotational speed. This generates friction and a large amount of heat that could damage or even melt the 402 plastic base. The center shaft 474 is particularly dangerous because so much of its entire surface is inside the 402 plastic base. To solve the overheating problem, in some embodiments of the present invention, ball bearings 482 are used along center shaft 474. Ball bearings 482 reduce the surface area of center shaft 474 that is in contact with other surfaces during rotation. Therefore, any rotational friction is significantly reduced. Although two layers of ball bearing 482 are shown in the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of layers of ball bearing can be used. Ball bearings 482 are confined by sleeve 476. Sleeve 476 can be made of stainless steel, nylon or other effective heat dissipating materials known or developed in the art. By using effective heat dissipating materials, any heat generated by the moving components of the blade holder 104 can be quickly dissipated. Overheating can thus be prevented.

[077] As for Figure 8, the figure shows a perspective view of a motor base 106 of a blender 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The motor base 106 comprises a wave-shaped skirt 606, a body 608 that contains a large motor housing 610 therein, and a cavity 600 above the motor housing 610. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the shapes of these components. , especially skirt 606, may vary. At skirt 606, a plurality of switches may be present for users to control blender 100. Alternatively, switches may be present at other locations such as along the power cord of blender 100.

[078] Figure 8 and Figure 9 show the upper surface of the engine base 106 and its components according to some embodiments of the present invention. On the surface of cavity 600, a plurality of arc-shaped relief areas 604 are present. Embossed areas 604 and recesses 444 are complementary to each other. Embossed areas 604 fit into recesses 444 (shown in Figure 6) so that blade holder 104 can be properly aligned with motor base 106 when blade holder 104 is inserted into cavity 600. relief 604 can be in any shapes and at any locations as long as they match the shape and location of recesses 444 in the bottom of blade holder 104.

[079] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, relief areas 604 are on the inner wall of cavity 600. In these alternative embodiments, recesses 444 are also on the outer wall of blade holder 104, rather than under blade holder 104. The idea for the alternative modalities is similar to the idea in Figure 8. The raised areas 604 and recesses 104 correspond in shape and location and are complementary to each other. When blade holder 104 is inserted into cavity 600 of motor base 106, embossed areas 604 and recesses 104 align blade holder 104 and motor base 106.

[080]In some embodiments, the surface of cavity 600 also contains an impeller 602 at its center. Beneath the surface of cavity 600, the base of motor 106 includes a motor 640 (shown in Figures 14 and 15), which is coupled to impeller 602. Impeller 602 comprises an outer ring 622 and an inner ring 624. The outer ring 622 it is mounted to the base of the motor 106 and is stationary when the impeller 602 is rotating. The inner ring 624 is the rotating portion that is driven by the motor 640. The inner wall of the inner ring 624 has teeth that correspond with the teeth of the coupling gear 442 (shown in Figure 6) on the bottom of the blade holder 104. Tooth matching allows for maximum torque transfer without slipping. When a closed vessel 102, formed by a blade holder 104 mating with a mixing vessel 102, is inserted into cavity 600, inner ring 624 engages with coupling gear 442. This allows motor 640 to indirectly drive the blade. 404 through impeller 602 and coupling gear 442. For a high power motor 640, friction between outer ring 622 and inner ring 624 could result in overheating. In some preferred embodiments, inner ring 624 interacts with outer ring 622 through a plurality of ball bearings (not shown) to reduce friction and heat generated. Ball bearings and rings are also lubricated to further reduce friction and heat generated. The structure and design of the 602 impeller may be similar to the internal structure depicted in Figure 7.

[081] In some embodiments, the surface of cavity 600 also contains a plurality of drain holes 630. As the motor housing 106 contains different electrical components, such as the motor 640, washing it is not normally recommended to protect the components. electrical equipment from any damage. However, the use of blender 100 would accumulate dirt in cavity 600, and at times the contents of mixing vessel 102 may fall onto the surface of cavity 600. For example, liquid may leak from mixing vessel 102 into cavity 600 during mixing due to material wear, defective gasket or improper installation. Due to the characteristics of cavity 600, such as several raised areas 604, liquid can easily accumulate in cavity 600 if cavity 600 is not completely and properly dried. Any accumulated liquid could slowly create oxidation of metal components in cavity 600, such as impeller 602. In addition, liquid could slowly enter inner housing 610 of motor base 106 through impeller 602 because impeller 602 is a rotating component that it cannot be completely sealed off. Any liquid entering the inner housing 610 could damage the 602 impeller and the 640 motor and affect the lubrication of the 602 impeller. This severely affects the functionality and durability of the blender. Drain holes 630 allow all liquid to drain from the surface of cavity 600 to travel through drain holes 630 and tunnels 632 (shown in Figure 14) that are connected to drain holes 630. Through drain holes 630 , the liquid will pass through the tunnels 632 and escape from the bottom of the motor base 106 without the opportunity to enter the inner housing 610 of the motor base 106. The drain holes prevent any liquid from accumulating. This reduces the possibility of oxidation and any damage to movement and electrical components.

[082] In some embodiments, the surface of cavity 600 also contains a plurality of safety actuators 670 that extend upward from the surface of cavity 600. Safety actuators 670 are pressure activated switches. The 670 safety actuators are connected to a mechanism, which will be discussed in more detail below, to complete the 640 motor circuit when the 670 safety actuators are pressed down. In preferred embodiments, all 670 safety actuators need to be pressed down in order to complete the circuit. The 640 motor can only operate when its circuit is complete. Therefore, if any of the 670 safety actuators are not pressed, the motor will not start even if the user turns on the blender.

[083] Safety actuators 670 and safety pins 426 (shown in Figure 6) together provide a safety mechanism for blender 100 to ensure that motor 640 cannot operate to drive blade 404 when blade holder 104 is not covered by a mixing vessel 102. Safety actuators 670 are located in the position where safety pins 426 will be located when blade holder 104 is inserted into cavity 600 of motor base 106. When holder The blade holder 104 is inserted into the cavity 600, the recesses 444 beneath the blade holder 104 correspond with the embossed areas 604 on the surface of the cavity 600 to align the blade holder 104 with the base of the motor 106. Due to the alignment, safety pins 426 can only be located in certain positions. The 670 safety actuators are located in such positions. Furthermore, the shapes of the 670 Safety Actuators and the 426 Safety Pins are complementary to each other. When a mixing container 102 is not threaded onto the blade holder 104, the safety pins 426 are in a retracted position, which, as discussed above, is their natural and most superior position. Therefore, the safety pins 426 do not extend from the bottom of the blade holder 104. When the mixing container 102 is threaded into the blade holder 104, the edge of the mixing container 102 presses the safety pins 426 of its highest position to the lowest position, causing safety pins 426 to extend from the bottom of blade holder 104. When these safety pins 426 protrude from blade holder 104, and the user inserts the blade holder 104 in cavity 600 of motor base 106, safety pins 426 slide into the complementary sockets of safety actuators 670 on the surface of cavity 600. Safety actuators 670 are pressed by safety pins 426 and the safety circuitry. motor closes, allowing motor 640 to start.

[084]If mixing vessel 102 is not threaded onto blade holder 104, safety pins 426 are in their uppermost natural position. They do not extend from the bottom of blade holder 104. They are capable of depressing safety actuators 670. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, safety pins 426 may slide freely when mixing vessel 102 is not threaded into the blade holder 104. Thus, these safety pins 426 do not exert sufficient pressure or force to depress safety actuators 670. These safety mechanisms prevent motor 640 from starting unless mixing bowl 102 is threaded into the blade holder 104 before placing it in the base of the motor 106. This prevents the blade 404 from moving when it is not covered by the mixing vessel 102. Thus, a user cannot just insert the blade holder 104 alone into cavity 600, start the motor 640, and cause the 404 blade to rotate without a cap. This significantly reduces the chance of injury from the 404 blade.

[085]Despite the safety mechanism, the interaction between safety actuators 670 and safety pins 426 also allows blender 100 to be used more conveniently. In some modes, unlike many electrical appliances, the default state of blender 100 is set to “on”, meaning the user does not need to press any buttons to make the blender operate. The user only needs to place the food in the mixing vessel 102, thread the blade holder 104 to connect it to the mixing vessel 102, insert the blade holder 104 into the cavity 600 of the motor base 106 to align the blade holder 104 with the base of the motor 106, then the motor 640 will automatically turn on and the blade 404 will begin to rotate to mix the contents in the mixing vessel 102. This is because, when the blade holder 104 is properly aligned with the base of the motor 106 , the extended safety pins 426 will depress the safety actuators 670 to complete the motor circuit, causing the motor to “on” state to operate. In some preferred embodiments, blade holder 104 is not locked to the base of motor 106 by any means. Users can freely and immediately lift blade holder 104 and mixing container 102 at any time. Therefore, when blender 100 is operating to blend the contents in blending vessel 102, the user can stop blender 100 by simply removing blade holder 104 and blending vessel 102 from the base of motor 106. As it normally is. difficult to see turbulent content when it is being mixed, such a mechanism allows the user to view the content more conveniently. The user can simply lift the mixing container 102 so that the blade 404 stops rotating, examine the extent of mixing of the contents, place the mixing container 102 and blade holder 104 back into cavity 600 for further mixing if necessary. . The entire process is automatic, as the user does not need to press any buttons. Motor is set to default “on” unless user turns blender switches to “off”.

[086]In some embodiments, a special type of switch is used to control the operation of the blender 100 in addition to or in replacement of the standard “on” system. The special switch is a pressure switch where the button can be pressed halfway as a pulse function. Thus, the special switch has at least three positions, an released position, a first depressed position and a second depressed position. When the button is pressed halfway, it is in its first pressed position. The switch will complete the circuit and the 640 motor will operate. However, as soon as the button is released, the button will return to its released position, opening the circuit and stopping the 640 motor. Thus, when the button is only pressed to its first depressed position, the user needs to hold the button in the to position. that the 640 engine continues to operate. The button can also be fully depressed to reach its second depressed position, then the switch locked in the “on” position and will not automatically return to its released position. The user now does not need to hold the button for the 640 motor to operate. In order to shut down the 640 motor, the button needs to be fully pressed again. Since pressing the button fully to turn the motor on or off creates a time delay in the operation of the blender 100, the halfway button feature provides a convenient means for the user to stop the blender 100 to examine the contents in the blender container. 102 and restart blender 100 to perform more blending. In these embodiments, lifting the mixing vessel 102 is no longer necessary to turn off the blender, the mixing vessel 102 and blade holder 104 can be locked to the base of motor 106 by any means that are known and developed in the art.

[087] Now returning to Figure 10, the figure is an exploded perspective view of a motor base 106, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The motor base 106 mainly comprises three parts - an upper part 614 which includes the cavity 600 and the motor housing 610, the wave-shaped skirt 606, and the lower cover 616. The upper part 614 may be a housing body. in the form of an inverted cone or dome with the cavity at its top and the 610 motor housing at its bottom. In some modes, the width at the bottom is narrower than the width at the top. Thus, when the top 614 is seen in conjunction with an inserted mixing vessel 102, the combined shape resembles a bullet. While those skilled in the art appreciate that the upper 614 can be any shape, the inverted cone or dome shaped housing body of the upper 614 could serve some functional purposes which will be discussed in more detail below in addition to aesthetic purposes. Bottom cap 616 primarily comprises a plate 618 and a cup-shaped housing 620. The diameter of plate 618 should match the diameter of skirt 606. Skirt 606 is preferably wider than top 614 to provide sufficient mechanical support for the blender 100 so that it can stand up firmly, especially when the vibration and geometry of a blender can cause the blender without a wide base to topple over. A fan 626, which is connected to the motor 640, is located outside the motor housing 610 to provide cooling to the motor 640. When the bottom cover 616 is connected to the top 614, the fan 626 is located inside the cup-shaped housing. 620. The 610 motor housing can be made of any material, but metal alloy is preferred because it helps to dissipate heat and provide mechanical protection and support the blender.

[088] Figure 11 is a top view of the bottom cap 616 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Bottom cap 616 contains a plurality of openings 662. The openings allow air to pass through to dissipate heat through fan 626. Bottom cap 616 also includes a plurality of openings or structural elements 664 in the outer wall of the housing. cup 620. Structural elements 664 allow tunnels 632 of drain holes 630 to be placed. It is noteworthy that structural elements 664 are on the outer wall of housing 620. In this way, liquid on the surface of cavity 600 can pass through drain holes 630 and tunnels 632 and leave motor base 106 through bottom cover 626 without any chance of entering any internal housings of the engine base 106. There are also a plurality of openings 668 which are outside the cup-shaped housing 620. These openings 668 are provided for liquid from drain holes 630 to escape from the motor base 106. Structural elements 664 also allow any electrical cables to pass into motor housing 610.

[089]Figure 12 is the same bottom cover 616 seen from below. Bottom cover 616 includes a plurality of legs 669. Each leg 669 has a plastic pad 667 underneath it. Although views from the bottom of openings 668 and openings 662 are similar, they serve different purposes and are isolated from each other by the wall of the cup-shaped housing 620.

[090] Figure 13 is a bottom view of the base of the engine 106 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Viewed from below, top 614 comprises an outer circumference 642, a metal ring 644, a plurality of threaded holes 646, a cable support 648, and the motor housing 610. Viewed from above, as best seen in Figure 10 , the upper part 614 also comprises a cavity 600 and different components in the cavity 600, which were discussed in more detail above with respect to Figures 8 and 9. The outer circumference 642 defines the width of the motor base 106. As shown in Figure 10 , the base shape of the engine 106 resembles an inverted dome shape with its width increasing from the bottom to the top. Thus, the outer circumference 642 also increases from the bottom to the top, but is not shown in Figure 13. The metal ring 644 defines the inlet of the motor housing 610. Preferably, the width of the motor housing 610 is greater than the diameter of the metal ring 644. In other words, the metal ring 644 is installed after the motor 640 is placed and secured in the motor housing 610. This prevents the motor 640 from falling down because the metal ring 644 will block it. Metal ring 644 is mounted and secured to motor housing 610 by a plurality of screws. In the metal ring 644, two tubes 650 are present. Tubes 650 are connected to tunnels 632 of drain holes 630 as part of tunnels 632. Top 614 also contains a plurality of raised threaded holes 646 for the wave shaped skirt 606 and bottom cap 616 to be mounted on the top 614 by a plurality of screws. It is noteworthy that when the blender 100 is in its full stage and the lower cover 616 is connected to the upper 614, part of the cup-shaped housing 620 of the lower cover 616 is inserted into the motor housing 610. Then, part of the housing in cup shape 620 passes the motor housing 610 inlet which is defined by the metal ring 644. This completely isolates the motor housing 610 from the rest of the space outside the inlet defined by the metal ring 644. However, the electrical cables need to extend from inside motor housing 610 to outside blender 100. Structural elements 664 in the outer wall of cup-shaped housing 620 provide spaces for electrical cables to pass. The electrical cables are then gathered and held by cable support 648.

[091] Motor 610 housing is the main house of the blender 100 in which motor 640 is located. The motor 640 is connected to a fan 626. The fan is located outside the motor housing 610 in a position outside the motor housing inlet that is defined by the metal ring 664. The location of the fan 626 allows the fan 626 to operate in a less confined space to maximize its cooling effect.

[092] Now, returning to Figure 14, the figure is an illustrative drawing of the internal structure of the motor base 106 showing the motor housing 610 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 14 shows the drain hole 630 and its connection to the tunnel 632. Figure 14 also shows the actuator 670 which is connected to the motor circuit by a switching mechanism 672. The switching mechanism could be any mechanism which is known or developed in the art. The 610 motor housing contains a 640 motor. In some preferred embodiments, the 640 motor is a high power motor with at least one thousand watts (1000 W) of power. In a preferred mode, the 640 motor has 1200W. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the power of the motor 640 may vary and will depend on the design and intended primary use of the blender 100. In addition, other lower horsepower motors may also be used with the design and features described in the embodiments herein. invention. However, high horsepower engines are typically associated with problems that are unique or significantly more severe than low horsepower engines. The characteristics presented in the embodiments of the present invention mainly address the problems of a high power engine, such as safety, vibration and overheating.

[093] The 640 motor is not directly mounted to any wall of the 610 motor housing. Instead, it is mounted to a 652 motor mount. The 652 motor mount is only connected to the roof of the 610 motor housing through a plurality of rubber buffers 654. The engine 640 with the engine mount 652 is not connected to any other part of the engine housing 610. In other words, the rubber buffers 654 are the only connection points between the engine mount 652 and motor housing 610. Thus, motor 640 is suspended from the roof of motor housing 610. Motor 640 drives impeller 602 through a shaft 656.

[094] The connection of the 640 motor with the 610 motor housing through the 652 motor mount is best illustrated by Figure 15. Figure 15 is an inverted view of the components inside the 610 motor housing. The bottom, which resembles to a base, is, in fact, cavity 600 of the base of the motor 106. The fan 626 is at the top of Figure 15. The motor support 652 comprises a circular plate 6522 and three rectangular extensions 6524 that extend from the circumference of circular plate 6522. Rectangular extensions 6524 are where rubber buffers 654 are located. The 654 rubber bumpers have two parts, an outer part and an inner part. The rectangular extensions 6524 of the engine support 654 are placed between the two parts of the rubber bumpers 654. The two parts of the rubber bumpers 654, the engine support 652 and the engine housing 610 are connected together by a screw. The screw can be a separate piece or it can be a part of the outside of the rubber buffers 654. The rubber buffers 654 are preferably made of rubber, but can be made of any other soft material known or developed in the art. High-powered motors, especially those with power greater than 1000W, often create uncontrollable vibrations for a blender to be used or even to stand upright. If such high power motors are directly connected to any part of the motor housing 610, vibration will transfer directly to the base of motor 106, making blender 100 unusable or unsafe to use. The 640 motor is now mounted to the 652 motor mount only. When vibration is transferred to the 652 motor mount, the 652 motor mount will vibrate in the vertical direction. The outside and inside of the rubber dampers 654 will act as a dampening layer to prevent significant amounts of vibration from being transferred to the motor housing 610 and also to the base of motor 106. The vibration of motor support 652, due to a 640 high horsepower engine, it could be very strong. Since the 640 engine is suspended from the roof of the 610 engine housing, the connection points on the 654 rubber dampers have to withstand strong vibrations and the weight of a relatively heavy high horsepower engine 640. An engine mount Old or defective 652 could be broken due to vibration and weight. Thus, the additional safety feature is desirable to prevent the broken engine mount 652 from causing the engine 640 to topple over. In some embodiments, as discussed above, the motor housing inlet, defined by metal ring 644, is smaller than the wider motor portion 640. Thus, the cone-shaped or inverted dome-shaped top provides a characteristic of important safety of the blender 100.

[095] Although the motor 640 can be connected to the motor body 610 by other means, the disposition of the motor housing 610 suspended from the roof of the motor housing 610 through the motor support 652 at the rubber damper connection points 654 produces less amount of vibration for the blender 100 and significantly reduces the size of the motor housing 610. The feature is of particular importance when a high power motor 640 is used in a confined motor housing 610, such as those having the Cone or inverted dome shape. Another advantage of the motor 640 suspended from the roof of the motor housing 610 is that it allows maximum ventilation from the fan 626. This is because no structural element or support that would block any of the ventilation is present at the bottom of the motor housing 610. Since a relatively large fan 626 is required to be used to provide sufficient cooling of the high power motor 640, fan 626 is located outside the motor housing 610 to limit the size of the blender 100, limiting the size of the motor housing 610 without compromising the cooling effect of the 626 fan.

[096]The 610 engine housing also contains other components. Tunnels 632 are connected to drain holes 630 and have outlets at the bottom of motor housing 610. The outlets are connected to tubes 650 in metal ring 644. Thus, liquid can travel from drain holes 630, through tunnels 632 and from tubes 650, to bottom cover 616 and escape from motor base 106 through openings 668. Motor housing 610 also contains switching devices 658 that are connected to motor 640. Switching devices 658 are part of the motor circuit 640 Switching devices 658 are under safety actuators 670. When safety actuators 670 are depressed by safety pins 426 by the mechanism discussed in detail above, safety actuators 670, in turn, depress switch devices 658, causing cause all switching devices to complete the 640 motor circuit.

[097] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electronic design of the 640 motor circuit provides features that prevent overheating and improve the durability of the blender 100. In some embodiments, the 640 motor circuit is a programmed printed circuit board with a slow start function that allows the 640 motor to start slower than its maximum speed, regardless of whether the start is caused by the full circuit through the 670 safety actuators or by users manually pressing switches 612. The motor starts with one speed of slower rotation and then gradually increases its speed to maximum in a short duration. However, the duration is longer than that of an engine with a general circuit to reach its maximum speed. Typically, for a 640 high horsepower engine, the maximum rotational speed is too high. Starting a 640 high horsepower motor will result in an increase in torque to move all moving components of the blender 100 from stationary to their maximum rotational speed. The increase in torque places high mechanical stress on the machine, which results in increased wear on all moving components of the blender 100. It also generates a large amount of heat and could result in overheating. The slow start circuit of blender 100 allows the torque and rotational speed of moving components to build up relatively gradually. This prevents excessive torque that initially occurs when motor 640 is first turned on, thus preventing damage to blades 404, impeller 602, ball bearings 482 and/or motor 640 and overheating of any components of blender 100.

[098] In some embodiments, in addition to the slow start feature, the 640 motor circuit also includes an internal timer that is programmed to automatically shut down the 640 motor after a predetermined time. In some embodiments of the present invention, motor 640 has more than a thousand watts of power. The 640 engine and all moving components generate large amounts of heat, even with multiple heat dissipation features and proper lubrication. Prolonged operation of blender 100 can cause overheating and damage to components of blender 100. The timer limits the operation of motor 640 to a predetermined duration. The circuit is programmed to cut power to the 640 motor when the 640 motor operates continuously for longer than duration. The 640 motor will shut down until the user manually turns off the circuit by lifting the blade holder 104 to release the 670 safety actuators and restart the engine again by pressing the 670 safety actuators or manually pressing the switch button again. This prevents blender 100 from operating continuously in the situation such as when users forget to turn blender 100 off.

[099] Figure 16 shows an isolated view of a 404 blade according to some embodiments of the present invention. Different types of 404 blades have different effect and efficiency when cutting and mixing different types of food. Thus, blade 404 is different for different embodiments of the present invention. In one modality, the blade has only two parts. However, in other embodiments, blade 404 has four parts. Some of the 404 blades have teeth. Blades 404 in some embodiments are flat, while others have parts that extend from their plane at various angles.

[0100] Figures 17 to 31 show the blenders 800 and 900 according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments shown in Figures 17 to 31, blenders 800 and 900 employ a system of emitters and detectors, as described more particularly below, to activate the motor and also to regulate its operating speed.

[0101] In an embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 17 to 22, the blender 800 generally comprises a mixing vessel 810 (best shown in Figures 19 to 22), a blade holder 104 (best shown in Figure 3), and a motor base 106 (best shown in Figures 29 through 30). Blade holder 104 is removably attachable to mixing container 810 by threaded relationships 103 to form a closed container for mixing and liquefying foods and liquids. Mixing container 810, with blade holder 104 attached, can be affixed to the base of motor 106, as shown in Figures 17 through 18.

[0102] As shown in Figures 19 to 22, the mixing vessel 810 has a protrusion 830 and a rim 840. Other embodiments may have more than one protrusion 830. The rim 840 has a circumference substantially corresponding to the outer circumference of the support of blade 104 so that when blade holder 104 is affixed to the base of motor 820, lip 840 is substantially flush with the inner surface of cavity 600 and the upper edge of cavity wall 851 as shown in Figures 17 and 18 Protrusion 830 extends beyond rim 840. Figures 19 and 20 are side views of mixing vessel 810 showing the extent of protrusion 830 beyond rim 840.

[0103] As shown in Figure 18, the rectangular protrusion 830 is complementary to a rectangular recess 860 (best shown in Figures 29 and 31) at the top edge of cavity wall 851. If other embodiments have more than one protrusion 830, a versed in the art it would also include more than one rectangular recess 860. In this embodiment, when mixing container 810, with attached blade holder 104, is placed within cavity 600 of motor base 106, protrusion 830 functions to secure the container. of mixing bowl 810 in the operating position engaging rectangular recess 860. Protrusion 830 is within recess 860 so that mixing vessel 810 does not move when blender 800 is activated. Alternatively, one of skill in the art may appreciate that protrusion 830 can physically couple to recess 860 via a push and lock mechanism to further secure mixing vessel 810. In addition, one of skill in the art may also appreciate that protrusion 830 and recess 860 can have a variety of geometric shapes, such as circles, triangles, or other decorative shapes, in addition to the illustrated rectangular shape.

[0104] The embodiment of the invention, as described for the blender 800, has emitters 870 and detectors 880. In the preferred embodiment, the blender 800 is automatically activated as follows. When mixing vessel 810, with attached blade holder 104, is placed into cavity 600 of base of motor 820, base of motor 820 is automatically activated. In this preferred embodiment, mixing container 810 has at least one emitter 870 incorporated into bead 840. One skilled in the art may position emitter 870 in other positions on mixing container 810. In a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 19 and 20, bead 840 has two embedded emitters 870. Emitters 870 embedded in bead 840 are flush with bead 840, as shown in Figures 21 and 22. Other embodiments may include additional emitters at different locations or utilize multiple emitters of various known types in technique.

[0105] In this preferred embodiment, the base of the motor 820 has detectors 880 corresponding to the emitters 870 on the rim 840 of the container 810. Figure 30 illustrates a cross section of the internal structure of the base 820. As shown in Figure 30 in the preferred embodiment, the detectors 880 are embedded within the wall of cavity 850 in proximity to upper edge 851. While the positions of detectors 880 should correspond with the positions of emitters 870 in mixing vessel 810, detectors 880 can be positioned by those skilled in the art in other positions in the blender base 820. Emitters 870 and detectors 880 are technology, known to those skilled in the art, that can emit and detect a signal without any physical interaction between the emitter and the detector.

[0106] In this mode, when the mixing container 810, with the coupled blade holder 104, is placed within the cavity 600 of the base of the motor 820, the protrusion 830 guides the mixing container 810 when it is engaged with the recess 860 such that the emitters 870 on the rim 840 of the mixing container 810 are positioned to interact with the detectors 880 embedded in the wall of the cavity 850. When the emitters 870 interact with the detectors 880, the blender 800 is automatically activated to mix the contents in the mixing vessel 810. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a user may manually actuate a switch to activate the blender if detectors 880 detect emitters 870.

[0107] Figures 23 to 28 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention comprising a blender 900 that is capable of operating at variable speeds. In this embodiment, the blender 900 can only operate at certain speeds when it is used with the mixing vessel 910. The mixing vessel 910 can be used not only to blend, but also to heat, the foods in the blender vessel 910. In order to heat the food in the mixing vessel 801, the blender 900 of this mode is capable of operating at a sufficiently high speed that it generates heat in order to heat or cook the food in the mixing vessel 910. mixing bowl 910 can be heated by the mixing operation, it is desirable for the mixing vessel 910 to vent the heat. Therefore, the mixing vessel 910 is open at both its ends. As shown in Figure 24, mixing vessel 910 is removably attachable to blade holder 104 at one end and removably attachable to a lid 920 at the other open end. When food is being blended and processed by the blender 900, the removable lid 920 can be opened to vent heat into the mixing bowl 910.

[0108] As shown in Figures 25 and 26, the mixing vessel 910 has a rim 840 (rim 840 is also illustrated in Figures 19 and 20). Bead 840 has a circumference substantially corresponding to the outer circumference of blade holder 104, such that when blade holder 104 is affixed to the base of motor 820, bead 840 is substantially flush with the inner surface of cavity 600 and the upper edge of cavity wall 851 as shown in Figure 23. In this preferred embodiment, rim 840 has at least one emitter 870 in mixing vessel 910. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 25 and 26, the bead 840 has two built-in emitters 870, although one skilled in the art may position emitters in other positions on mixing vessel 910 in addition to bead 840 and use different numbers of emitters 870.

[0109] The base of the motor 820 has at least one detector 880 that corresponds to at least one emitter 870 in the mixing vessel 910. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figure 31, two detectors 880 are embedded under the edge top 851 of cavity wall 850. Those skilled in the art may appreciate that detectors 880 can be placed in different positions as long as they correspond with the same position as emitters 870.

[0110] In this preferred embodiment, when the mixing container 910, with the coupled blade holder 104, is placed within the cavity 600 of the base of the motor 820, the emitters 870 on the rim 840 of the mixing container 910 interact with the detectors 880 recessed into the cavity wall 850 to automatically activate the blender 900.

[0111] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 25 to 28, the mixing vessel 910 has a protrusion 830. One skilled in the art can use more than one protrusion 830 to better secure the mixing vessel 910 to the motor base 820. In preferred embodiment, protrusion 830 has at least one emitter 930 embedded therein, although one skilled in the art may position emitter 930 in another position in mixing container 910. In this preferred embodiment, emitter 930 can be a magnet or any other emitter component. signal that does not require any physical interaction between the emitter and the detector. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a user may manually actuate a switch to activate the blender if detectors 880 detect emitters 870.

[0112] As shown in Figure 24, the rectangular protrusion 830 is complementary to the rectangular recess 860 (best shown in Figures 29 and 31) at the top edge of cavity wall 851 of the base of the 820 motor. If more than one protrusion 830 is present in other embodiments, these embodiments will also have more than one recess 860. In this embodiment, the motor base 820 has a detector 890 embedded beneath the recess 860, as illustrated in Figures 29 and 31, which correspond with the emitter 930 embedded in the protrusion 830 of mixing vessel 910. Other embodiments may also include various types of detectors 890 under recess 860. One of skill in the art may also position detector 890 in another position on the base of motor 820 in addition to recess 860, as long as it matches the sender position 930.

[0113] In this preferred embodiment, when the mixing container 910, with the coupled blade holder 104, is placed within the cavity 600 of the base of the motor 820, the protrusion 830 functions to hold the mixing container 910 in an operating position by engaging in the rectangular recess 860. The protrusion 830 is inside the recess 860 so that the mixing bowl 910 does not move when the blender 900 is activated. Protrusion 830 orients mixing vessel 910 when at rest in recess 860 so that emitter 930 interacts with detector 890.

[0114] Also in this preferred mode, the emitter 930 embedded within the protrusion 830 functions to control the operating speed of the base of the motor 820. When the emitter 930 interacts with the detector 890, the detector 890 allows the blender 900 to mix in one alternate speed when the user also presses switch 612. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that more than one type of 930 emitter and 890 detector can be utilized. Thus, different blending vessels may have different combinations/numbers of emitters 930 and detectors 890 to allow the blender 900 to further differentiate between different types of blending vessels.

[0115] In the preferred mode of blender 900, for a user to activate the alternative mixing speed, the detector 890 must detect the emitter 930 and the user must press switch 612. In an alternative mode, the blender 900 can be operated at the speed of alternative mix without requiring the user to press switch 612. When the alternative mix speed is active, an indicator 821 can indicate to the user that an alternative mix speed is active. The indicator 821 may be in the form of an LED that changes color, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the indicator may be a mechanical indicator that changes position when the user activates the switch 612.

[0116]Alternative mixing speeds can include any speed known to those skilled in the art that can change the consistency or temperature of the mixed contents. For example, the mixing speed can be increased drastically such that friction between the blades can increase the temperature of the mixed contents, resulting in a hot soup as a finished product, or the mixing speed can be slow to facilitate making ice cream. or sorbet.

[0117] Now returning to Figure 32, Figure 33 and Figure 34, the figures illustrate a wrench 700, a tool for screwing and unscrewing a mixing container 102 from a blade holder 104, according to some embodiments of the present invention . The key 700 has an elongate member 702 having a first end portion 704 and a second opposite end portion 706. Coupled to the second end portion 706 is the head region 718 of the key, which has an upper surface 730 and a surface. lower surface 720. Lower surface 720 has a recessed socket 722 that is complementary to the lower surface of blade holder 104. In the illustrated embodiment, socket 722 has a recessed circular region that has an outer periphery 729, and four substantially equidistant slots 724 extending from the undercut circular region 722. Each slot 724 has opposing edges 725 and 727 which, when placed over the square shaped relief areas 449 of the blade holder 104, align with a pair of opposing edges in the areas. square shaped relief 449, thus holding the blade holder 104 over the key 700 in a horizontal manner. Arc-shaped relief areas 726 are also complementary to recesses 444 in the bottom of blade holder 104. When holding blade holder 104 horizontally, when the user holds mixing container 102 with one hand (which is threaded to the blade holder 104), and wrench 700 in the other hand, and rotate handle 702 in a horizontal counterclockwise direction, the mixing container will come loose from blade holder 104, due to the added torque that using handle 702 gives the blade holder 104 compared to when the user tries to rotate blade holder 104 of mixing vessel 102 directly without using key 700. Key 700 does not lock key 700 to blade holder 104 in vertical direction so that the user can simply and easily place or remove key 700 from blade holder 104 vertically. Elongated ridges 224 on the outer surface of mixing vessel 102 or of a handle 262 on mixing vessel 102 allow for additional adhesion leading to better threading and unscrewing of blade holder 104 of mixing vessel 102.

[0118] The shape key 700 with the lower surface of a blade holder 104 allows the user to tighten the blade holder 104 to the mixing vessel 102 more tightly, especially with the combination of using the elongated ridges 224 on the surface outside of the mixing vessel 102. Using the wrench 700 to tighten the mixing vessel 102 before the mixing vessel 102 is placed over the base of the motor 106 prevents the contents from spilling into the mixing vessel 102 into the base of the motor 106 After the contents of mixing vessel 102 are mixed, the user removes mixing vessel 102 and blade holder 104 from the motor and disengages blade holder 104 from mixing vessel 102 by holding the elongated ridges with one hand. 224 in mixing vessel 102, placing wrench 700 on the lower surface of blade holder 104, and applying torque to blade holder 104 through the rotation of handle 702 on switch 700 clockwise.

[0119] The invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments, but is more broadly applicable as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (17)

1. Food processing device, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: a mixing vessel, said mixing vessel having at least one open end with a flange and a protrusion, said flange having at least one emitter embedded in said flange , and said protrusion having at least one second emitter embedded therein; a blade holder having at least one blade, said blade holder capable of being removably affixed to said open end of said mixing vessel; a motor base capable of receiving said blade holder, said motor base having a motor for driving at least said blade of said blade holder, said motor base further having: at least one detector embedded therein to detect a signal from of at least one said emitter on said rim of said mixing vessel; and a recess, with said recess having at least one second detector embedded therein; wherein, when said motor base receives said blade holder affixed to said mixing container, said at least one detector detects a signal from the said at least one emitter to activate said motor; wherein, when said motor base receives said blade holder affixed to said mixing container, said protrusion engages said recess to align said at least one second emitter with the said at least second detector, and said at least one second emitter embedded in said protrusion is capable of outputting a signal to said at least one second detector embedded in said recess to regulate an operation of said motor; The blade is capable of releasably coupling to a plurality of different mixing vessels, each said mixing vessel having a different type of second emitter embedded in said protrusion. 2. Food processing device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it further comprises: a switch located on said motor base, said switch connected to an electrical circuit capable of activating an alternative mixing speed of said motor according to said signal from said emitter at said protrusion in said mixing vessel to said detector in said recess of said motor base. 3. Food processing device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that at least one said emitter is a magnet. 4. Food processing device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that at least one detector built into the motor base is a Hall sensor. 5. Food processing device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said at least one detector built into said recess is a reed switch. 6. Food processing device according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said switch includes an indicator light that changes color depending on the mixing speed that is active. 7. Food processing device, CHARACTERIZED in that it comprises: a mixing vessel, said mixing vessel having: a first open end and a second open end; a rim located in proximity to said first end, said rim having at least one emitter embedded in said rim; a protrusion located in proximity to said first end, said protrusion having at least one emitter embedded in said protrusion; a blade holder having at least one blade, said blade holder capable of being removably affixed to said first open end of said mixing vessel; a motor base capable of receiving said blade holder, said motor base having: a recess for receiving said protrusion in said mixing vessel; a motor for driving said at least one blade of the said blade holder; at least one detector for detecting a signal from said at least one emitter on said rim of said mixing container embedded therein; at least one second detector for detecting a signal from said at least one emitter on the said protrusion of said mixing vessel embedded in the recess; wherein, when said motor base receives said blade holder affixed to said mixing vessel: at least one said detector detects a signal from at least one emitter on said bead to activate said motor; and, at least one emitter embedded in said protrusion is capable of emitting a signal to said at least one detector embedded in said recess to activate an alternative mixing speed, depending on said signal from said emitter in said protrusion to the said detector in said engine base. 8. Device according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that: said first open end of said mixing container is adapted to be affixed to said blade holder; and, said second open end of said mixing vessel is adapted to be affixed to a removable lid. 9. Device according to claim 8, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that at least one alternative mixing speed is mixing at a rate such that the contents in said mixing vessel can be heated. 10. Food processing device, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: a mixing vessel having a wall; a blade holder with an upper surface and a lower surface, the blade holder capable of being removably attached to the mixing; the upper surface having a blade rotatably mounted to the blade holder, a pin mechanism with a movable pin; the bottom surface having a gear, a recess with a particular shape, and the pin mechanism; the pin mechanism being located at a particular first location on the lower surface; the pin mechanism operating through the top surface and the bottom surface, the pin capable of projecting from the top surface and capable of projecting from the bottom surface; the gear and blade are connected through a shaft, the shaft surrounded by a plurality of ball bearings, which are confined by a sleeve; a motor base having a detachably attached bottom cover, a detachably attached skirt, a motor housing with a motor located therein, and a cavity located therein. at the top of the motor housing, the cavity is able to allow the blade holder to be inserted into it; the engine housing having a roof and a bottom inlet, the engine being roof mounted indirectly only through an engine support, the engine support being roof mounted by means of a plurality of dampers; the shock absorbers located between the roof and the engine support and located under the engine support; the motor being connected to a fan at its lower end and being also connected to an electrical circuit that controls the motor; the fan is located outside the motor housing and below the bottom inlet; the motor having at least 950 watts of power; the cavity having a cavity surface with a raised area, an impeller, an actuator, and a drain hole in the same; the embossed area complementary to the particular shape of the recess in the lower surface of the blade holder; the impeller being connected to the motor; the actuator connected to the circuit and located at a second particular location on the surface of the cavity, and when the actuator is depressed, the actuator closes the circuit; the drain hole is connected to a third location below the motor housing through a tunnel; where, when the mixing vessel is connected to the blade holder, the mixing vessel wall causes the pin to protrude from the bottom surface; the correspondence in the shape of the recess and the embossed area aligns the blade holder and the motor base when the blade holder is inserted into the cavity of the motor base; and the first particular location and the second particular location correspond when the blade holder and motor base align, causing the protruding pin to depress the actuator; and the food processor is able to be turned on automatically when the blade holder connected to the mixing vessel is inserted into the cavity of the motor base; the lower cover comprising a plate and a cup-shaped housing, the plate having a plurality of openings, the cup-shaped housing being partially located within the motor housing when the lower cover is coupled to the motor base, and the housing cup-shaped substantially insulating the motor housing from the third location, preventing liquid from the drain hole from entering the motor housing; the skirt located between the motor housing and the bottom cover, the skirt being detachably coupled to the bottom cover plate and the motor housing, the skirt being larger than the inlet to provide mechanical support for the motor base; the circuit having a slow start function and a timer that automatically shuts off the motor after the motor is operating for a predetermined amount of time; the circuit being connected to a switch mounted on the engine base; and the switch having a released position, a first depressed position and a second depressed position; the released position opens the circuit, while both the first pressed position and the second pressed position close the circuit, where the first pressed position automatically returns to the released position once the switch is no longer pressed, but the second pressed position remains the closed circuit when the switch is no longer pressed. 11. Device according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that a plurality of gripping elements extends from an outer surface of the wall of the mixing vessel. 12. Device according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the elements of apprehension are crests. 13. Device according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that a plurality of ridges extends from an inner surface of the wall of the mixing vessel. 14. Device according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the mixing vessel has a closed top opening and a bottom opening being able to be removably coupled to the blade holder. 15. The device of claim 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the mixing vessel is capable of being removably coupled to a plurality of different blade holders, each blade holder having a different type of blade. 16. Device according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the pin protrudes from the upper surface when the mixing vessel decouples from the blade holder. 17. Device according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED in that the impeller comprises an outer ring and an inner ring, the outer ring being firmly mounted on the cavity surface, the inner ring rotatably mounted in the cavity and being able to mate with the gear on the lower surface of the blade holder, driving the gear when the blade holder is inserted into the cavity.

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